Rhapsody In Blue
by kittygirl2010
Summary: When Terra Holden is thrust from her vault without a choice, she searches for her father. However, in this unforgiving wasteland, it's not just the world and its people who must change. To survive in this desolate world, she must change herself. What lies in store for the inexperienced vault dweller? Rated M due to content in later chapters. I do NOT own Fallout 3, just my OC's.
1. Cast Out

_**(Hey everyone, this one is just like every other Fallout 3 story out there, the Lone Wanderer, how their journey began, etc etc. Note: I apologize in advance for the not so accurate dialogue and long paragraphs. Italics indicate a memory or something the protagonist is thinking. (duh) I've been playing Fallout 3 again so I decided to write an actual fanfiction on the Lone Wanderer. I realize there are other parts such as saving Butch's mom, etc. etc, but I didn't want to drag it out more than it needed. Here is the first chapter of a possible series. Haven't decided if I want to continue it yet due to the fact I don't play it as much. Let me know what you think and if I should continue. I'm going to shut up now and let you read it. Enjoy you guys! ^.^)**_

_**Atomic 1**_

_"Cast Out"_

_Death. It's a word everyone in the world fears, yet we never know when it is truly 'our time'. This world is full it every day. I never knew when it would be my time but at this moment, with my dying breaths, I remember. How this all began, why it did and why I even ended up here. As I begin to fade away, on the cold floor of a mini lab set in an abandoned memorial building….I am surrounded by fatal levels of radiation with the sorrowful stare of my now close friend and ally watching solemnly from afar….behind a glass window. I couldn't let her take the fall. Too many people were waiting on her to return. Even if there are people waiting on me too….it is a sacrifice I am glad to make. If it means the world can have fresh water again and become a better place, then I am happy to do it. However, why do I feel…like I'm leaving so much behind?_

It all started a year ago when I awoke to the sound of my best friend yelling my name. I slowly opened my eyes to the bright vault lights shining down on me. I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes and looked towards my friend. Amata Almadovar, or better known as the Overseers daughter, had a look of serious fear and worry. She was panic stricken and her voice quivered and shook with each word she released from her lips.

"Come on, wake up! You've got to wake up!" she yelled once more.

I put my hands on her arms, trying to soothe her. Not fully aware of the blaring alarms and intercom announcements.

"What's wrong Amata?" I asked, concerned.

"It's Jonas! They killed him! They killed him and now they're looking for you! You've got to get out of here!" she yelled in a panic as she grabbed my forearms.

My eyes widened in shock as I tried to take in what she just said. "Calm down. Tell me what happened."

"Y-your father left the vault...I don't know why but... my father went looking for him and they killed Jonas!"

"W-wait wait wait….my father left?! That's impossible… the vault door has been sealed for a long time! There's no way my dad could have left!" I suddenly yelled at her.

"Well, apparently not, turns out they've been lying to us. They've opened the vault door before but I don't know when. I'm sorry to ask but…did your father...not mention anything about leaving to you?"

"No...why would he leave without saying anything?" I asked myself as I crossed my arms in frustration.

"Now's not the time for this! We have to get you out of here! My father's men will be here any minute! Grab what you need and _go_! I'll try to meet you at the door but if I don't….good luck."

"How do I get out of here? I don't know the way out without running into any guards!"

"There is a secret tunnel under my father's office leading to the door. You'll have to find the terminal's password to get inside. It should be in his office somewhere. Take these; I always used them to get in. Oh and this too, but promise me you won't use it unless you have to, okay?"

Amata handed me some bobby pins and a 10mm pistol. I stared at the pistol nervously. This was the first time I ever held an actual gun and not a toy like the BB gun on my desk.

"Thanks Amata. I'll see you at the door. Don't worry. I'll only use this gun as a last resort, I promise."

"Okay. Please, be careful." Amata smiled before leaving me alone in my room.

I immediately grabbed everything from my room. The alarms became clear once Amata's voice wasn't there to help me ignore them. I grabbed my ears since the loud blaring gave me a headache. I walked out the door cautiously, checking my surroundings. No one was around but as soon as I stepped out, a guard saw me and pointed towards me.

"There she is, get her!" he yelled to no one in particular. Luckily for me, some radroaches began to attack him. I felt bad for just quickly running by him and headed for the atrium. If Amata was right about the guards looking for me, then it was either him or me….and I wasn't planning on getting caught.

Entering the atrium, I cautiously checked my surroundings again, making sure there weren't any guards around. There were two people in front of me. I didn't recognize them, but they both had black hair. The man was saying things like "This is our only chance" and "We have to go" and he ran for the door. I curled in a ball in a corner as the loud gunshots filled throughout the atrium. I peered over to see the woman screaming out his name as she ran in the same direction. I watched in horror as she was shot down as well. Why was the overseer killing anyone who tried to leave? It made no sense! I ran for it, hoping the guards wouldn't see me, but alas, that plan didn't work to my advantage. They started shooting at me as I raced up the stairs. I didn't want to shoot them so I just turned around and hit them down the stairs with my baseball bat. One of them managed to get me in the shoulder as I hit him across the face. I clutched my shoulder, trying to keep pressure on it. Upstairs, I could see the round shaped window of the Overseer's office and headed straight for it. As I made my way down the hall, I could clearly hear Amata's voice.

"I can't...she's my friend."

"Listen, Amata. If you tell me where she is, I promise that Officer Mack here won't hurt her...if you would just tell me."

I wanted so badly to go inside and punch that son of a bitch in the face, but a part of me knew that if I did that, I might have been killed. So I headed for the door to the Overseers office.

Right across from it was the lab...on the floor lay Jonas and I immediately ran to his body. Tears began to stream down my face. Maybe it was the shock of everything that was going on, or the fact that my father just left without saying anything. Leaving Jonas to explain and suffer for it. I had known Jonas pretty much my whole life. He was like a second father to me….always looking out for me whenever my father was busy. I got so angry that I punched the floor, causing my knuckles to bleed. I noticed something under Jonas' arm and it was a holotape. I decided not to listen to it since I had to hurry and get out of there. I looked over towards Jonas' body again.

"I'm sorry..." I silently whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Picking the lock to the overseer's office was pretty easy but I'm sure I would have to practice. As I searched for the terminal password, I couldn't shake the ideas that were going through my head. The thoughts of how the outside world would look. Was it really as Mr. Brotch described it in class? Or had it changed since the war? I began to get nervous. Sweat drops forming on my brow and forehead. Or maybe it was from all the blood loss I was suffering from the bullet wound in my shoulder. Either way, I didn't feel good. I opened a nearby locker and finally found the terminal password. I entered it into the terminal and scrolled through everything.

My eyes widened as I saw information on Jonas, Amata, my father and even me! It was like he was spying on us and watching our every move. We had no privacy! What an asshole! I downloaded the pictures and information then clicked the entry on opening the tunnel. Sure enough, the Overseer's desk opened up and I went inside.

The place was full of radroaches but they weren't that hard to kill. I had killed so many with my BB gun as a kid, I didn't think of them as a threat like the rest of the vault dwellers did. I pushed the control on the side of the wall and a secret door opened, leading right to the main door just as Amata said. I quickly ran to the controls and pulled down the lever. The large shaped control made its way to the large metal door and pushed in. The cranks and gears turned the door, pulling it out with a large screech that could make your ears bleed! Someone came in and I readied my baseball bat, luckily it was Amata. Her eyes widened in surprise and curiosity as she pointed to the door.

"Oh my god, you actually opened it!" she yelled both in excitement and in fear.

I nodded and walked up to her.

"They...they got me and tried to get me to talk but I swear I didn't say anything."

I held her hands to calm her down….simply nodding.

"I know, I know….I'm sorry….I would have helped you but if I did….they would have killed me."

"Yeah, I understand. You did what you had to. You need to get out of here." she looked at my shoulder and covered her mouth with her hands. She was worried about me which was really obvious. Here we were, saying goodbye to one another. Amata had been my friend for so long and now I had to leave her behind. Not many people were friends with Amata because of the fact that she was the Overseer's daughter, but I didn't let that stop our friendship. After all, we'd been friends since we were both in diapers. I cursed to myself for getting her mixed up in all of this. Now….

Footsteps were heard from the other side of the door leading to the atrium. Some people were trying to get in.

"Someone's opening the vault. Quick! Get this door open!"

I looked at Amata. The panic was still there, even though she was trying to hide it. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't you come with me? It's not safe for you here anymore."

"I can't...the vault needs me here and...I can't leave my father."

"I understand….I'm SO sorry I got you in all of this. Goodbye Amata." I began walking away when Amata stopped me, grabbing my arm. With a look of sadness, she continued to hold my arm, like she didn't want to let go.

"Promise me...that you'll be careful out there? I hope to see you again one day."

"Of course….you know me, I'll be okay." I reassured her even though deep down I didn't' know if I was actually going to be okay.

"I wonder what's out there. Regardless, I know you'll be ready. More ready than any of us."

The door opened and some guards rushed in, leaving me and Amata with a short farewell. I grabbed my shoulder again and ran for the door.

"Stop, in the name of the Overseer!" they continued to run after me. I ran past the door and some ways up the dirt path. They stopped and looked at me with wide eyed expressions.

"Is she crazy? Forget that! I'm not going out there no matter what the Overseer says! Quick close the door!"

It appeared that they wouldn't follow me and I didn't blame them. Most of the vault dwellers wouldn't have come outside after all the stories they had heard over the years. I was beginning to think I was crazy for leaving...but what choice did I have? If I stayed, I would surely have been killed. That or made a prisoner and forced into telling them where my father was. Surely the Overseer wasn't that crazy...was he? A part of me thought so as I remembered the young couple being gunned down by the security officers.

I yelled at one of the guards.

"Hey! Give the Overseer a message!" I yelled angrily.

The guard just stared at me with disgust but nodded.

"Tell him that if he harms Amata in any way, I'm coming back for him!" I turned to Amata, whose face said it all. I fought back tears as I waved.

The vault door screeched closed as I watched an almost crying Amata wave goodbye. All was silent in the cave and never had I felt more alone. Turning on the light of my pip-boy, I was startled to see the floor littered with skeletons. My nerves got the better of me as my whole body began to shake with fear and apprehension. I walked away from the bones and faced the wooden door. Light slipped through the cracks as I tried to grab the handle. The light was warm on my hand; it was something I had never felt before. I breathed in heavily and gulped nervously.

_No turning back now...here goes nothing. _

I pulled the handle and was greeted by a blinding white light.

A low whistle rustled through my ears as I covered my face from the light. Slowly but surely, the world around me came into focus. Sloping, jagged hills filled my vision. I stared at nothing but an endless sea of brown and orange blurry colors. I squinted, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness. When my vision was fully adjusted I stared in awe at what appeared before me. Destruction was all around me and as far as the eye could see. There were wrecked cars, demolished buildings, and ruined roads stretching across the landscape's haze of dirt, dust and radiation. It was even worse than Mr. Brotch had ever taught to us back in the vault during class. "Horrible and desolate" was a serious understatement! Ahead of me was a small metal sign that read, 'scenic overlook'.

I walked down the broken paths of black road as I gazed upon my surroundings. It wasn't as bright anymore unless you looked straight up at the blinding round circle. So that was the sun, huh? It was more blinding than I could ever imagine. Back in the vault, I could see nothing but metal ceilings and lights overhead. Now, I could see a vast and beautiful blue sky with not so beautiful brown clouds of radiation. From what I could tell, the wasteland was already much different from the safety and security of the vault. Not that the vault was safe and secure anymore. A part of me was glad that I left, while the other part of me wanted to go back and keep Amata safe.

Continuing down the cracked road, I found a small town with ruined buildings. The sign upon entering was eligible. It read Springvale. I looked around, hoping to see some kind of life when something caught my eye in the distance. It was small and circular. Bobbing up and down, it made its way toward me. As it got closer, the noises became louder. I could hear music and a man's voice. He began drabbling on about the "Enclave" and how they could "change the government with YOUR help"! Sounded like a bunch of bullshit to me so I didn't pay any attention.

My breathing began to get shorter and shorter as the dizziness and exhaustion hit me quickly. The wound in my shoulder was still bleeding out a bit and it was beginning to take its toll on me, draining me. I felt my face beginning to get flushed and sweat dripping from my forehead.

A few ways up the cracked road from Springvale, across from what looked like an old gas station, a giant metal sign with the word 'Megaton' caught my eye. A bright yellow arrow pointed in the direction indicating where to go. I opened my pip-boy and searched the data I downloaded from the Overseers office. A tall metal sculpture of some sort was in the photo. I looked around and saw the same exact thing in the distance. I began walking, each step becoming more and more exhausting by the minute. I began to fear that I was going to pass out. The metal sculpture came into view and outside was a robot with a cowboy hat on. It greeted me.

"Welcome...to...Megaton. Please...enjoy...your-staaay." The large propeller turned and opened the giant metal doors leading into the city. I prayed that there was a doctor there. I would need to be seen and possibly sleep for a few days. I kept the pressure on my shoulder and walked into the metal covered city. What would be waiting for me once I got inside?

_**(Well there you have it. WOW that took a while. My apologies again for the somewhat long paragraphs. I wish I could break it up more. Anyway, if you think I should continue, send a review and let me know. I hope you guys enjoyed it and I hope you continue to read my fanfictions. I hope everyone has a wonderful day! ^.^ Next Chapter: A Lead From A Letch! Look forward to it!)**_


	2. A Lead From A Letch

_**(Sorry for the long wait. I am moving in a month and have a LOT on my mind. With everything going on I've barely had time to write as much as I want to. I didn't like the way Moriarty treated his employees in the game or the way he bribes you. So I came up with my own solution to the Moriarty problem.*devilish grin* HeeHee, read to find out. Anyway here is the second chapter, hope you guys enjoy it. ^.^)**_

**Holotape 2**

"_A Lead From A Letch"_

Grabbing my duffle bag, I checked its contents. Food, ammo, stimpaks, rad-away's and other useful meds were in my bag along with a few guns. I eyed the holotape sitting on the table in the middle of the room. It had been two weeks since I escaped the vault and I still haven't listened to it. I mean, it _was_ from my dad so why didn't I listen to it?

Was it anger towards him? Or was it fear that its contents may reveal something I don't want to hear. Regardless, I still didn't want to hear it. The town was nice enough to give me a home of my own after I defused an active bomb. Boy was I scared out of my mind. I had never even used, let alone _touch_, any kind of explosives! So to suddenly agree to disarm an active bomb was completely crazy! That….or the mentats that Doc Church gave me had some serious effects after he treated my bullet wound.

"Good morning madam! What can I do for you today?" my personal Mr. Handy butler, Wadsworth, asked.

"Make me some purified water, as much as you can make. I think I'm going to head out today. Don't know when I'll be back, though."

"Certainly madam." He made the water and I placed it in my bag. I threw the bag over my shoulder and left the house. I took the short way to the saloon, passing Harden and Maggie, the only kids in town. They said hello and ran passed, I laughed to myself. It was nice to see children playing considering the circumstances. With everything going on in this world, seeing Maggie and Harden play every day gave me a small bit of hope.

Stepping into the saloon, I immediately sat at a bar stool. A man was in the far right corner, motioning me over. He was out of place, with his business suit and hat. He was shady and downright suspicious, so I ignored him. A woman with short red hair sat next to me.

"Hi there, sweetie. A bit of warning, Moriarty's back. Do yourself a favor honey and walk away."

"I'm not new in town, Nova and this Moriarty guy has it coming. I haven't really had time to myself in a while and I'm not in a very good mood today. I've been helping Moira down at Craterside supply with her book. Nearly got shot dead by Raider's this morning."

Nova laughed at me. "Oh honey, are you really? That woman is a strange one, quite the nutcase if you ask me."

"I don't know, I think she's nice. Yeah, she has a few screws loose when it comes to her research, but she cares enough to make a book about the wasteland. Shouldn't you at least give her a chance?"

"You're right, honey. I'm sorry. By the way, I never got to ask but are you from a vault? Or did you just happen to find that thing you're wearing out in those wastes."

"I'm from a vault, the one near Springvale. Vault 101" I answered nervously while brushing my short hair behind my ear.

Nova whistled amusingly. "Wow. Hey Gob, she's from a vault."

The man turned around and I let out a girly yelp of surprise. He looked…grizzly. His skin was peeling off in patches, his hair too. His face resembled a skull but with skin. Almost zombie-like from my Grognak comics as a kid. The first time I ever saw Gob I screamed like I was getting murdered. Under that monstrous form is a human being. Sadly though one who is being treated based on what he looks like. I immediately apologized to him.

"I'm…SO sorry. You just startled me and I-"

Gob held out his hand, stopping me. "It's okay. I get that reaction all the time. All of my kind do."

"Your kind?" I asked, still a little shaken. "What do you mean by, your kind?"

"Ghoul!" A scruffy, Irish accent yelled. I turned my head to see an older man, probably late forties to early fifties, storming in from a room behind the bar. He grabbed Gob by the collar and punched him to the floor. "Didn't I say not to talk to the customers, you zombie! And you!" He yelled as he pointed to Nova. "You haven' paid me for your terrible service the other night! I better see those caps by tomorrow morning or I'll throw you out into the wasteland!"

Nova remained silent as she went to help Gob off the floor. The man sat next to me and grinned. "Colin Moriarty, at your service, dearie. Welcome to Moriarty's….my saloon, my home, and my little slice of heaven in this shithole. Now…" he grabbed my hand and began to softly massage it. "What I can I do for you, you pretty little thing?"

I yanked my hand away, flustered. "You can stop _that_ for starters, you dirty letch!" I yelled.

"Now hold on-" he started but I interrupted him.

"Don't even try to sweet talk me. I may not have met you until now but I've heard enough from everyone in town to know that your trouble. Now if you don't want me to take all your customers to the Brass Lantern then you tell me what I want to know."

Moriarty gave me an evil glare. "You're a lot smarter than you look, lassie….fine, what do you want.

"Have you seen a middle-aged guy around? Wearing a vault lab coat with brown hair? He's my dad and I'm looking for him."

"My god…it's you. The little baby girl, all grown up. Feisty little flower aren't you. It's been a long time kid."

"Excuse me? I've never seen you before in my life. My dad and I were born in the vault, you're clearly lying."

"Is that what your father told you?" his laugh fills the room. "That you were born in that hole?! That_ he_ was born there as well? Oh…oh you poor girl you!" he wiped tears from his eyes. "Oh, the lies we tell to those we love. I remember you and your father coming here with that Brotherhood girl. You were just a newly born babe without a care in the world."

"You're a liar, Moriarty. I know where I grew up and you can't tell me any different."

"You'd better wise up, lass. Before someone, let's say, takes advantage of you."

This guy was really getting under my skin. What a jerk! If everybody in the room wasn't watching us, I would have punch it out of him!

"Look…." I sighed out in frustration. "I just want to find my dad, okay? Do you know where he is?"

"You're lucky you're a pretty one or else I wouldn't help you. Your dad was here, but now he's not. Let's say, a thousand caps for information."

My face contorted and my blood began to boil. I felt like steam was coming out of my ears I was so angry.

"A thousand caps?! Are you nuts?! I don't have that kind of money! Is there something else I can do other than pay you? I have to find my dad….please." I begged.

A devilish grin formed on his face as he got closer to me.

"I think I know a way, lassie" he said while reaching for the zipper on my jumpsuit. "If you'll indulge me." He began pulling the zipper down which gave me a reason to hit him. Only this time, I kicked him in his family jewels! His high pitched yelp echoed through the bar as he curled into a ball on the floor. Nova covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Gob was in tears behind the bar he was laughing so hard.

"Forget it you letch! Now tell me where he is before I beat it out of you!" I yelled down at him, forming my fist into a ball.

"Okay….okay…." he groaned. " You're not playing lassie so I'll tell you. He went into the city….don't know where but you can go to GNR and search there."

"That better be all you know or I'm coming back to kick your ass! I better not hear that you have been treating Gob or Nova badly either!" I threatened.

He simply nodded while cursing.

"Good." I simply added. "Maybe next time you'll think before pushing the wrong buttons, you caught me on a bad day."

"Crazy bitch." he mumbled to himself as he crawled back to his room.

I left him alone, sitting at the bar again. Gob was still chuckling as he placed a glass of scotch in front of me.

"Oh, sorry, I'll take water please."

"Sure thing, it's on the house. You're the first one other than Lucas to tell that son of a bitch off. Although, I'll take your way over Lucas' 'friendly conversation' any day." He walked over to the radio and started pounding on it. "Agh! Come on you piece of junk! Everyday it's the same damn thing! Static….nothing but static!"

"I told you Gob, it isn't the radio. The Enclave's station works fine, but it's Galaxy News. Their signal's been shit lately. You're not gonna get anything outta that piece of junk."

Nova came and sat next to me, lighting a cigarette. "Wow, honey. You must have had quite the bad day if Moriarty made you _that_ angry. Seriously though, thank you. It's about time someone stood up for me and Gob the way you did. I hope that rat bastard never has sex again."

"Why don't you two just leave? It's not that hard is it?" I asked in concern. "No one should suffer this way, even if it is a job."

"It's not that easy, honey. I owe that man so many caps, I'll be here until I'm old and grey. As for Gob, he was a slave and purchased by that snake. He could leave any time he wants but refuses to leave me here. I feel bad for him and anyone else who is like him. But….that's the wasteland for you….terrible and unforgiving."

I put a reassuring hand on hers. "I promise, I'll find a way to get you two out of here."

"Thank you honey, but don't trouble yourself with us. Just survive and come visit us when you can." She chuckled "Maybe even give that bastard another kick to his balls. I'll look the other way."

I smiled as I finished my cup of water. "I got to go. If his information is true, I need to head for GNR. It's in the city right?"

Nova nodded. "Yeah….be careful not to catch a stray bullet in there….place is a warzone."

"Really? Is there still a war going on?" I asked stupidly.

"Well, in a sense, yes. The Brotherhood of Steel is trying to clear out those super mutants from DC."

"Super Mutants? What the hell is that?"

"You don't want to know. If they catch you….you're pretty much dead." Gob simply added.

I gulped nervously. _Hope I don't run into one of those._

"If you travel into the metro tunnels, watch out for ferals. Their like me but well…feral. No use talking to them, they'll just charge at you first chance they get."

"Okay, thanks. I'll come back when I can. See you guys later."

I got up from my seat and left the saloon. I sighed out in frustration, still shaking from Moriarty_. If I could, I'd go back in there and kick him again! Damn pervert!_

"Trouble in your metal covered paradise?"

I turned to see the man in the business suit, Mister Burke. This man was as evil as they came. When I first arrived, he tried to get me to rearm the bomb in town and blow the place up, killing all who were here. I turned him down and he was furious. He didn't take rejection well and even tried to kill Lucas Simms to get to me. Why he hasn't left town I don't know.

"What the hell do you want Burke?" I asked with my arms crossed.

"I want you to reconsider my proposition. Blow up the town and you will live like a queen in Tenpenny Tower! Do you have _any_ idea how many people would jump at a chance for security?"

"If it means killing all these innocent people, you can shove that proposition up your ass Burke! I will have no part in what you do! Besides, the bomb is disarmed. There is no way to rearm it now. Now please get out of my face because I'm about _this_ close to throwing you off this walkway!"

"You will regret this, you pitiful worm! Mark my words."

Pinching the bridge of my nose I walked down to Craterside Supply to restock on ammunition and supplies. When I left the gates, my stomach began to churn as I gazed out across the barren wasteland.

_Dad….I hope you're still at GNR. I really don't want to go there empty handed. Please…please be okay._

With that, I began my long journey toward downtown DC.

_**(I know this chapter was a bit short but I didn't feel like dragging on needless side quests or banter. I promise the next chapter will be longer. If you have any questions about this story, send me a message. Please let me know what you think and review! Reviews are what keep me going! Next Chapter: Trouble In Grayditch! Look forward to it! ^.^)**_


	3. Trouble In Grayditch

_**(Hey everyone! It's time for one of my favorite characters in the game. Little Brian Wilkes! This kid really put has a spot in my heart mostly because I LOVE kids but also because his story in the game is SO sad. Anyway, I'll shut up now and let you read. Here's the next chapter in the story! Hope you guys enjoy! ^.^)**_

**Atomic 3**

"_Trouble In Grayditch"_

I peered around the walls of the super duper mart, checking for more raiders. It was empty except for half eaten corpses from this morning.

_Looks like I took care of them for good. No raiders to play target practice on me._

Walking across what use to be the parking lot, I could begin to see the city coming to view. Tall buildings stretched to the now orange colored sky with an eerie silence in the air. Music startled me and I readied my 10mm tight in my hands. It was another one of those bobbing robots emitting the mysterious Enclave station. It continued on its way, leaving me alone in the parking lot once more. I decided to make camp for the night, keeping my back against the entrance wall, in-between two nuka cola machines. The smell of rotting flesh still filled my nose so I decided to move the bodies behind the building.

_Maybe now whatever decides to eat these will stay away from me._

Returning to my makeshift camp I took out a pan, flour, some purified water, a box of Salisbury steak and some instamash from my bag. I put the contents of the Salisbury steak box into the pan, watching it carefully before flipping it. When both sides were browned and the middle was al dente, I took it out and placed it on my metal plate. Pouring flour and water into the pan I began to make a sauce. Evenly mixing the two ingredients I then added the instamash into it. When the instamash was perfectly cooked with no lumps, I added it along with the sauce to the plate.

Movement caught my eye in the shadows and I immediately grabbed my pistol.

"Who's there!?" I yelled out to the small shadow behind an old pre-war car. Sniffles and moans followed and the shadow came out. Stepping into the light of my makeshift fire was a small boy. He was dirty, his clothes were slightly ripped and two lines fell onto his cheeks from tears. I put my pistol away and coaxed the boy over.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, come over here. I won't hurt you, I promise."

The little boy was reluctant but came over and sat across from me. He tucked his knees under his arms, almost in a ball. Keeping his eyes on the fire he laid his chin on his arm. Luckily for me, I had a spare ceramic plate and put the leftover food on it. I handed it out to the small boy and he stared at me, bewildered.

"For….me?" he said slowly, still a hint of teary whimpers in his voice.

"Go on, take it. I have some, so eat all you want, okay?"

The boy nodded and took the plate of food. He immediately began to eat, his hand and mouth now covered in the sauce. I felt a little bad that I only had utensils for myself, but he licked his fingers clean. I took purified water out of my bag and handed it to him. I chuckled slightly as he gulped down every bit of the food and water I gave him.

"You'll choke if you eat so fast. You want some more?"

"No, ma'am."

"Such good manners for a boy your age. I'm not quite old enough to be called 'ma'am' yet. You can call me Terra if you want."

The boy seemed to ponder my response but nodded.

"What can I call you? What's your name?"

"B-Brian." He said reluctantly.

"Brian. What a nice name. Tell me, where did you come from. I hardly see a little boy wandering around the wastes like this."

"Grayditch. I came from Grayditch." His voice got shaky like he was about to cry again. He pointed east, to a clutter of tall buildings.

"I see. Do you have any folks? Where are your mom and dad?"

"My…mom died when I was little. My dad he….he…" the little boy stood up quickly giving me a pleading look. "Please! Help me find my papa!"

"Calm down, Brian. Is your father still in Grayditch?"

"I…don't know. He told me to wait at the diner, in the giant shelter thing. He told me he'd be right back and we would leave. Those things….they're everywhere and I got scared that they would get in the shelter. I ran away and now…" he glanced over at the cluster of buildings. Anyone would know the look he had, a look of worry. This kid certainly had a problem, almost similar to mine. I didn't want this kid ending up dead somewhere and if his father was still alive….I had to help him.

"I'll help you find your father, but you need to tell me about what's going on there. Unfortunately though, I can't do it until in the morning. Is that okay?"

Brian nodded. "Yeah….can….can I stay with you? I don't want to go back with those things."

"Sure. You can hold out with me. I'll go scout the area in the morning so if I'm not here when you wake up, don't panic."

"Okay." Brian came and sat next to me, leaning his back against the wall. He stared nervously at the pistol on my hip. "Have you….killed anyone with that?"

"Yes….this morning. I didn't want to but they left me no choice. In fact it was here where I killed."

"Oh…so the bodies here were from you."

"You were here?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah…I saw you this morning but was sort of afraid to approach you."

"I don't blame you. Anyone with a gun is scary. Where I'm from, the only people with guns were the ones protecting us, not the other way around."

"Are you from a vault?" he asked with a raised brow.

"I was….but my dad left and I had to go look for him. So I came out here."

"Oh….so you're like me then, only you can fight and I just…run away."

"Sometimes it's good to run away. It doesn't necessarily make you a coward. Sometimes, running away can be the best strategy. Tell me, what do these….monsters, look like?"

"They're really big and scurry around. They take everything they see with their big teeth. If you get too close, they breathe fire!"

"Hmm….the only thing that that describes is a dragon in my old Grognak comics." I laughed but Brian just stared at me. "Here…" reaching into my bag, I pulled out a copy of the Grognak comic that Amata gave me for my tenth birthday. The real one was in my house in Megaton. This one, I happened to find in Moira's shop.

"Wow….I didn't think any of these still existed." He said wide eyed as he opened up the comic.

"Yeah, sometimes vaults have them and you can occasionally scavenge them from places but other than that, yeah, they're all gone. You can have it if you want. Just don't lose it, okay?"

"Are you sure? I can just read it and give it back to you."

"It's okay, I have another at home. Think of it as an apology for holding that gun to you. I'm really sorry about that."

"It's okay….I'm used to it. Everyone I've seen has done that to me when I asked for help. So don't worry about it."

_How terrible._ I thought with disgust. _To turn down a child when he needs help….this world really is unforgiving._

"Hey, are you still hu-" I started but when I looked down at the boy, he was already asleep. His head fell sideways onto my forearm, the comic now resting in his lap. By the looks of it, he hadn't gotten much sleep. I sat there and let him sleep, staring into the embers of the fire. Tomorrow morning I would go to Grayditch to see these "monsters" for myself.

000

_So these are the "monsters" that Brian was talking about._ I thought with an amused chuckle.

The sun was just rising over the tall buildings. I left Brian alone at the camp since I knew he would be safe there. The "monsters" were nothing more than giant ants. One spotted me and came toward me. I readied my hunting rifle and aimed for the head. Suddenly, flames spewed from its mouth and I took cover.

_Wow, Brian wasn't kidding when he said they breathed fire! _I thought nervously.

I aimed my gun again and shot it down. It creaked out a moan and lay motionless.

_There's one down…who knows how many to go._

000

Brian awoke to find Terra had gone. His panic disappeared when he saw Terra coming down the hill from Grayditch. He jumped up and ran to her, hugging her out of nowhere.

"You're okay!" he yelled excitedly.

"Yeah, your "monsters" are nothing more than giant ants. Giant…fire breathing ants, but still ants all the same. I cleared out the town but I heard scurrying in the metro tunnel so it's a good hunch that that's where they're coming from. I'm going to check out the abandoned houses"

"I want to go with you."

"Sorry Brian but it's too dangerous."

"Can I at least come back to Grayditch. I'll go in the shelter by the diner. Please?"

Terra was reluctant in answering him, while it was true that she cleared out the town of the ants, it didn't mean they wouldn't try to come out of the tunnels. Still….the preservation shelter was a good place to hide and it wasn't like she would be gone long.

"Well…alright, but stay close to me until we get there. I'll let you know when I'm heading into the tunnels."

"Thank you! Please….find my papa."

"I will….I promise."

000

After I left some food and water for Brian in the shelter, I went to the last house I forgot to check, which happened to be Brian's. I opened the door and immediately covered my nose with my forearm. The smell of smoke and rotten flesh filled my nostrils. I knew then and there, that it was Brian's father. I walked into the room to see three dead ants circling a corpse. A hunting rifle was lying next to him, as if he fought to stay alive.

_Shit….what am I going to tell Brian. He's been through enough and now….I have to tell him that his father's dead._

My stomach began to churn and I felt nauseated. I promised him that I would find his father but….I didn't plan on his father being dead. I left the house and heard the shelter's door open. Brian came running out and looked at me like he knew.

"Did….did you find him?"

"I….yeah. I found him."

"He's dead…..isn't he. I guess already knew, but I'm too tired to cry anymore."

"Brian…." I pulled him into a hug, he just stood there, tired sighs was all I could hear. I kneeled down and made eye contact with him, grabbing his shoulders gently.

"I'm going into those tunnels and stop whatever started this…..I promise you."

"You've got to stop this from happening to anyone else's family! I wish I had met you a long time ago, then maybe….my dad might still be alive. I feel better now that you're here."

I felt as if a hole had been drilled into my heart. It was heartbreaking, even for me, to see him put on such a brave face. I took a .32 pistol from my bag and some ammo for it.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"If I'm not back in an hour or an hour and a half, I want you to take this gun and head for Megaton. Look for a man named Lucas Simms. He wears a cowboy hat and sheriff star. You can't miss him. Tell him….you came from Grayditch after the "vault lady" saved you. Okay?"

"O-okay."

"Your dad taught to shoot right?"

"Y-yeah. He did."

"Alright. I'm going in there. Remember what I said, an hour to a hour and a half."

Brian hugged me tightly. "Be careful."

"I will."

With that I placed more food and water into his shelter.

"If you see any more of those ants, get back into the shelter okay?"

Brian nodded and headed for his home.

_Poor kid_. I thought_. Lost his dad and has nowhere to go._

I made my way to the entrance of the Metro Tunnels and entered.

000

With the light of my pip-boy guiding the way, I shot down any ants I saw. About, thirty minutes had passed since I entered the old metro tunnel and I found myself at a metal door. It suddenly opened and I held my hunting rifle forward. A pitiful yelp echoed from within and a man stepped out with his hands up.

"You startled me! You really mustn't creep up on people like that!" he yelled in a nasally tone.

"Yeah well, I didn't exactly expect anyone to be alive down here!" I yelled back.

"You're nosing around my experimentation area…confound it, now I have to relocate!"

"Wait….are you Lesko?"

Brian told me of a man who stayed with him and his father. He is a scientist who doesn't like to be disturbed or wouldn't tell anyone what he was up to.

"Yes. I'm experimenting with these ants."

"So you're the one who made the ants breathe fire then?"

"Yes, a minor setback but I'm working on a solution."

"And how exactly do you plan on undoing this mayhem you've caused?! Can you take responsibility for his father's death?!" I yelled angrily.

"I will inject the bio mutagenic gene into their eggs and try to get them to a more molecular level. However, it will take a few broods before they are at the right size."

"In English, please." I said coldly, not in the mood for scientist talk.

Doc Lesko sighed out in frustration.

"I aim to make them smaller."

"Don't you realize that your experiments have ruined Brian's life? He has no father now because of you! You could have at least told him you were alive, he thought he was all alone!" I calmed myself down, letting my emotions get the better of me. "Look, I'll help you but don't be surprised if I do something you won't like."

000

When I arrived at the nest, the queen ant wasn't happy to see me since I killed her workers. She spit at me and it was like acid.

"Shit!" I cursed as I quickly grabbed for my bag. I pulled out some abraxo cleaner and quickly put it on the spot where she spit on me. It acted as a base and absorbed the acid, leaving just a burn and not a serious injury. I grabbed out some grenades and threw them her way.

_Sorry Lesko, but I'm doing this for Brian, not for science._

The grenades exploded under her legs and she cried out, shivering into a dead heap. I grabbed some of the pheromones to sell and activated the mutagen, possibly sending anymore live ants into a frenzy back in Grayditch. When I told Lesko I killed the queen, he was _furious_. I told him that what he did to the town and to Brian's father was unforgivable and that he needed to leave Grayditch. The only problem now was trying to figure out what to do with Brian. I couldn't take him with me to GNR and I wasn't sure if Megaton would take him in.

Guess I'll figure it out once I talk to him.

When I left the metro tunnel, unlucky me ran into some men with black armor.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little saint from the vault. Someone's paid a big price for your head."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Can't we talk this out?" I asked, my arms above my head.

"Nope….time to die."

They began shooting at me instantly. A bullet barely grazed my left shoulder while another grazed my side. I winced, diving for a building. I took out my hunting rifle and aimed for one guy's head. It hit and his head was sent rolling away. I shot another guy in the shoulder, hearing him cry out I shot him again. The last guy stood dumbfounded, staring at the barrel of my 10mm now at his face.

"Who sent you!?" I yelled.

"We're Talon Company, and kill for people who have the caps."

"You didn't answer me. Who. Sent. You."

The mercenary just smiled and grabbed for his gun. I put the gun to his head again and held it there. "Don't you do it."

He quickly pulled his gun, and shot himself in the head. My eyes widened in shock, blood and brain matter hitting my face.

_What the fuck…._ I thought as I quickly grabbed a cloth from my bag, wiping my face. _These guys don't play that's for sure._ I stopped for a moment to see a holotape in his pocket. Picking it up, I read its contents.

**Boys, we've got another holier-than-thou white knight who needs putting down by order of Mr. Burke. Here are the details:**

**Name: Terra**

**Race: Caucasian**

**Sex: Female**

**The bounty is 1000 caps this time around and they want the head this time. Don't screw up! Let's show this little hole dweller that **_**no one**_** turns down Mr. Tenpenny!**

_Burke? Bastard! So he meant it when he said I wouldn't forget it. Should of known better. Who's this Tenpenny?_

I placed the holotape in my bag and walked back to the old diner. I quickly cleaned off my face and tried to get the blood out of my jumpsuit. I didn't want Brian to see me like this.

"Terra? Is that you?" Brian's voice echoed from the shelter.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry that took so long, I had a bit of a setback."

Brian opened the shelter door and saw the blood on my jumpsuit. He shook his head and looked away.

"It was SO weird! The ants went nuts and started fighting each other! It was crazy!"

"I'm just glad you're safe, Brian."

"I wish I had something to give you, after everything you've done. I guess….you'll be leaving now and I have to try and live here by myself. I hope you'll come visit me."

"There is no way I'm leaving you here alone, Brian. Is there anywhere you can go? Do you have any relatives?"

"My papa always talked about a cousin Vera who lives on a giant ship somewhere. He said it was called 'Rivet City' but I don't know where it is. If you find it, please tell me. I'll stay here until then. Besides….I have to bury my papa anyways."

"If you don't mind, I'll stay with you tonight and leave for Rivet City tomorrow to find your cousin, Vera, okay?"

"Sure. I don't mind."

"Great. I'm really sorry this happened to you, Brian. I wish I came sooner."

"It's okay….it's not your fault, Terra. It was the ants. In a way….I guess it's our town's fault for not seeing them as threat sooner. Don't worry about it."

"Come on, let's go to your place and I'll cook us up something."

"Yeah!" Brian yelled excitedly, grabbing my hand. He pulled me with him to his house, where the rest of the night.

_**(Well there's chapter three! Two chapters in one day, I must say I'm proud of myself because normally I wouldn't have time to do one. I'm sorry if it's a bit rushed, I didn't feel like dragging on this side quest with the needless fighting of all the ants and the metro tunnels. So Burke has sent Talon Company after Terra….great. -_- What lies in store for Terra next and will she find Vera and finally get to GNR? Next Chapter: Rivet City: The Market Town! Look forward to it! ^.^)**_


	4. The Market Town

_**(Hey guys! I'm back with more fallout! I've had SERIOUS writers block these past few weeks. I hate that! I've also been busy with school and stuff. Anyway, here is the next chapter guys! Enjoy! ^.^)**_

**Atomic 4**

"_The Market Town"_

The next morning, I slowly left the Wilkes home to begin my journey once more. The only problem was that I knew where to go for GNR but not where to go for Rivet City.

_I need to find Brian's cousin Vera, but I also have to go to GNR in case my father is there. What do I do?_

"Terra?"

Turning around, I met Brian's gaze.

"Brian, go back to bed. It's really early."

"Are you going to Rivet City?" He asked, making my situation harder now.

"Well….the thing is, before I ran into you, I was already going somewhere but now…."

"Oh….well if my cousin lives in Rivet City then you can do what you were going to and go to Rivet City later. My cousin isn't going anywhere, I think."

I humorously chuckled as I brushed my hand through Brian's hair. "You are quite the smart boy, Brian. Do you mind waiting a bit longer?"

"I'm fine here now that the ants are all dead. It's just…"

"I know, food and stuff, right?"

"Yeah….."

"Tell you what, why don't you come with me to Megaton. You can stay at my place until I get back. Then, I'll scout ahead to Rivet City once I figure out where it is. Once that happens and the way is safe, I'll take you there, okay?"

Brian just stared at me, like he was processing everything I said.

"You've done so much for me already….you don't have to take me to your home. I'll be fine here."

"Sorry, but no. You're stuck with me until we get you to Rivet City. I promised."

"Okay, are we leaving now? I have to grab a few things from the house…..and say goodbye to dad."

My stomach churned and my heart ached. This little boy was all alone now aside from a cousin that may or may not be in Rivet City. This boy's life had changed in a day's time and it made me wish that I did find him sooner.

"Go ahead and get what you need, I'm going to check my things as well and hopefully figure out where Rivet City is. Let me know when you're ready."

Brian went inside his home while I gazed at my pip-boy. A frustrated sigh escaped my lips as I turned the dials to see the map.

_He said it was on a giant ship so maybe I should keep heading east. Follow the river until hopefully I see the city? I pray to God that it's there and not destroyed or abandoned._

"Terra!"

I whipped around and ran through the door at Brian's yell.

"Brian, what's wrong?!"

"Look, I found a map!" he yelled excitedly.

I sighed in relief. "Oh, don't scare me like that. I thought you were in trouble when you yelled like that."

"Sorry, but look. This map was my dad's, see?" he pointed to some writing. "This is his handwriting."

"Good find, Brian. Now I don't have to return to Megaton to get directions. Here, let me see that map, I'll input it on my pip-boy."

Brian handed me the map and its data collided with my already found data. It didn't have many places but Rivet City was one of them.

"Does this mean we can go straight to Rivet City?" Brian asked.

"Yes but….I'm concerned about your safety Brian. It's really dangerous out there and I may not be able to protect you."

"Like my dad always said, things happen for a reason. Whether you can protect me or not, what happens….happens."

"Well, I'll try with every fiber in me to get you to Rivet City. You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go. I'm ready to get out of this place."

I ruffled Brian's hair and chuckled slightly.

"Copy that."

000

The roads were pretty safe as we traveled. The occasional raider tried to jump us but I could always hear them coming. Brian was a decent shot as well even though I still felt nervous with him holding a gun. No kid should use a weapon, or even learn, but with this wasteland as dangerous as it was he had to be able to protect himself. I looked on my map for a way to go but all I saw was water. We reached an intersection, one going east, one north and the other way we just came from. A sign read, Anchorage Memorial, pointing to the left of us.

"Hmm….which way now…."

"I don't think we want to go that way." Brian pointed toward the memorial. On the ground were hundreds of landmines.

"Good eye, Brian. I have a way to disarm them, stand back."

I had never touched enough explosives to disarm one, minus the pure luck with the one in Megaton. I took out my hunting rifle, a standard model looted from a raider's corpse, and shot a bullet at one of the mines. When the one I shot exploded, the rest went with it.

"Nice shot!" Brian yelled, running over the bridge. "I think you got them all, come on!"

"Hold your horses, Brian. We don't know what's ahead."

"Oh, sorry."

"Come on."

Once we crossed the bridge there were only two ways to go. One, through a door to our right and the second was a flight of stone stairs leading up.

"Let's take the stairs, I'll lead."

Holding the 10mm tight in my hands, Brian and I snuck up the stairs. I peered over the top landing to check for possible enemies. There was nothing there.

"All clear, but stay close to me."

"Okay."

There was a large statue in the middle of the area. Brian's eyes were as big as silver plates, gazing in awe at the giant statue.

"Are those soldiers? From the pre-war?" he asked curiously.

"Looks like it. A memorial for….Anchorage, a battle I guess. Let's go look for a way over there. We'll still follow the river at the border of the city limits."

"Okay. Hey, I think I see a way down, over there." Brian pointed to a dirt path going downward.

"Let's go. Be careful."

We headed down, a large metal door stood on a walkway and I boosted Brian on top. I climbed up and we continued. There was no other way to cross but a shallow area flowed in between the memorial and the city limits so it was time to cross.

"Hold my hand and stay close, I'll give us some rad-x just in case." We swallowed our pills and crossed the small bit of water. Some would say it was a waste but for all I knew we may have to swim.

"Terra!" Brian yelled, pointing to a giant creature coming straight for us.

"What is that?!" I yelled.

"You're asking me?! I've never seen one before! Come on!" He yelled in fear, pulling my arm.

We ran. The creature was pretty slow so we lost it easily. We circled a tall building that set off a life signal off of my pip boy. It was then marked on my map for me to check out later. Staying near the riverside, my ears caught the sound of an argument.

"Ah, shit! My dick is stinging too much!" a raider yelled as I covered Brian's ears.

"Well, if you weren't messin' around with that chick, your dick wouldn't be stinging now would it! Tch, you're such a dumbass! You know that chick has had sex with every guy here!"

"You too?"

"Nope, I'm not as stupid as you, dumbass. I'm too smart for that whore."

Brian looked at me in a disgusted manner and I nodded in agreement.

"Raiders. It seems like they have their base fenced up, so keep quiet and we'll sneak past them, to that bridge over there." I pointed and Brian nodded.

As soon as we made our move, I gulped. There was an opening in the fence and one of the raiders saw me.

_Shit!_

"Brian, run!" I yelled, taking out my pistol. "Run and don't look back!"

Brian ran for the underpass of the bridge while I ran behind him. Bullets flew past and I shot a few back. We ran all the way to the bridge and Brian stopped.

"Don't stop!" I yelled.

"But there's someone there!" he yelled back at me.

Looking ahead, someone stood under the bridge. I pulled Brian back to me and aimed my pistol toward the pursuing raiders. The raiders stopped and started to surround us.

"Haha, look here boys! Fresh meat to play with!" the leader yelled.

"That gal is quite the looker. Hey honey, let's go have some fun. We can get high on some Jet and fuck like there's no tomorrow!" one raider joked while making pelvic thrusting motions.

"In your dreams, you pig!" I yelled.

"Oh SO scary!" he laughed "The kid ain't worth nothin'! It's you we want, bitch."

They moved closer to us.

"Don't move!" I threatened, holding the gun towards them.

"Or what?" The leader laughed. "You're going to shoot us?"

Crack. A shot rang out into the dusty air. The leader's body fell limp, falling to the floor. A hole was now embedded in his head.

"What the fuck?!" another raider yelled.

"Brian, put your face up against me and cover your ears!"

Brian did as he was told. Now I didn't have to hold back. I immediately shot one of the raiders in the knee and his scream filled the air. Another crack from behind me rang out and another raider fell. The last one stood there, pissing himself and ran away. I patted Brian on the head, letting him know it was okay.

"Don't look." I simply said. I took his hand and we walked to the woman under the bridge.

"Thanks for the help." I thanked her. "I don't think I would have been able to help him if you weren't there."

"It was nothing. Just be glad that I wasn't a raider myself."

"That...would have been bad."

"Served them right, chasing a woman and her son like that."

"Whoa whoa whoa! I'm not his mom. I'm too young for kids. My name is Terra and this is Brian. I rescued him in Grayditch."

"Oh, my apologies. I'm Rae, just your typical scavenger trying to make it by. You poor child, you must have been through a lot, huh?"

Brian just nodded and clutched onto my arm. I brought out some caps from my bag and handed them to her. She quickly denied them.

"I only take caps if you're buying. Seeing you two alive is payment enough. It's starting to get dark, why don't you two stay with me for the night."

"Thanks. We appreciate it."

I helped Rae start a fire and I also cooked up a fresh meal for everyone. Brian ate his food quick and slept next to me with his head in my lap.

"Well Ms. Terra, I must say, that was quite the meal. I've never thought that Salisbury steak and instamash would go so well together."

"It's nothing special really. I just improvised a lot of meals in the vault I was from."

"Oh, so you're from a vault. Which one?"

"One-oh-one."

"I see….what about the kid? How long has he been with you?"

"About…..three days or so I think. I spent a whole day in Grayditch getting rid of their pest problem. He was the only survivor aside from the freak show scientist who caused it."

"Poor, kid. He seems awfully attached to you for someone he just met, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I know part of it is because he knows he can trust me now….I think the other is the fact that he doesn't have a figure to look up to until we get to his cousin. By the way, do you know the way to Rivet City from here?"

"Yeah, just a few hours walk from here but…."

I looked at her curiously, my head tilted slightly. "But what?"

"The memorial…..it's overrun."

"Overrun? With what?"

"Super Mutants…..big, green and ugliest sons of bitches you've ever seen. If they catch you….it's all over."

My stomach churned and I suddenly felt nauseated at the thought of coming face to face with one of these giant things.

"I see…..so it's on the way right?"

"Yeah, and I don't recommend bringing that boy into all that. If you want, I can look after him until the way is clear."

"_If_ the way gets clear, you mean. I don't know if I'll come back alive. I've never seen, let alone fought, a super mutant before."

"Well I hope you do make it for that boy's sake and for anyone else looking to pass through here."

I looked down at Brian, who was fast asleep. _If I died tomorrow, who would get him to Rivet City?_

"I'll leave first thing in the morning. Will you watch him?"

"Of course."

"I trust you to keep him safe. I haven't known you long but if I have any reason to doubt you, tell me now. If something happens to this boy, you'll be sorry."

"I don't doubt it. I'm not judging. I know you can handle yourself well, for a vault dweller anyway. He's safe with me until you get back."

"Okay, I'll leave while the sun is rising but…. If I don't make it back…."

"You will. I have faith."

It was nice to think that I may come back from this possible suicide mission, but it was for Brian. That's all that mattered.

000

The next morning, I left Brian with Rae and made my way to the memorial. I couldn't see it yet, but Rae told me I wouldn't be able to miss it. I walked down the cracked roads along the riverside when something caught my eye. At first I thought it was a person, but I soon realized that I was dead wrong. It was crawling on six legs, a jumbled mess of limbs and human parts. Its head was humanlike but deformed, mutated. It spit something from its mouth and I immediately dodged it. I didn't know what it was but if it was human at one point, I wanted to free it from its possible suffering. I took out my hunting rifle and shot it twice before it fell to the ground dead. Keeping my pistol up, I slowly went up to it, making sure it was dead. Before I could move a hail of bullets rained from in front of me. One grazed my left side, another hit my right arm. I quickly took cover behind a pillar when a deep terrifying voice yelled out.

"Human, die! Killed my pet. Human must die now!"

I barely peered from my hiding spot to see a giant green beast standing over the creature I had killed.

_That thing is massive! How the hell am I going to fight __**that**__?!_

A flight of stairs caught my eye and it was the only way, aside from swimming in radiated water, for me to go. I calmed myself down and took deep breaths. If I didn't make it to the stairs, the water would be my last option. The bullet wound in my side began to bleed but not badly. My arm however got more bullet than my side did. I quickly wrapped my arm in cloth I ripped from a raiders outfit and poured whiskey on it. I held back painful cries by biting my lip. Taking more deep breaths, I readied myself for what was to come. Counting to three in my head, I ran for the stairs. The giant beast yelled in alarm and took out his gun. My eyes widened in fear at the sight of its gun.

_Oh…..shit._

It was a minigun, aimed right for me as I ran closer and closer. There was no way I could avoid that many bullets so I had to act fast! I quickly grabbed my health pack and popped a rad-x into my mouth, swallowing quickly. The giant beast yelled out and I heard the cranks of the gun spinning, I ran to my right and jumped off the side, landing into the water. The impact opened the wound in my side further and I cursed to myself as I swam up for air.

I swam toward a cluster of rocks, hoping that giant beast didn't see me. The rocks were easy to climb upon and I sat for a moment, catching my breath.

_So that's a super mutant._ I thought between breaths. _I hope that if I come across any more, they don't have miniguns either._

Once my breath was somewhat back, I peered over the rocks I took cover behind. A cracked, pre-war bridge stretched across the waterway and in the distance stood the memorial. I walked along the bridge and to my dismay saw more super mutants guarding the memorial.

_I hope I have enough ammo for this_. I sighed as I made my way toward my possible suicide.

000

**Rivet City Entrance**

_I don't have enough ammo for this!_ I yelled in my head as I ran for my life up the concrete hill. Along with my previous injuries, two more bullets found their way into my body. One had gone through my shoulder while another grazed the same area on my side. The bullets from their guns whistled passed me as I made it to a metal covered ramp. At this point the super mutants did not pursue me any longer and I felt I could collapse. When I reached the top, a huge ship sat before me. The front was broken off but what was left stood strong. There was no way to get on the ship but an intercom system was on one of the pillars of the metal landing I stood upon. I pressed the button and spoke inside.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" I asked weakly.

"State your business here?" A voice asked through the intercom.

"A doctor….if you have one and….a place to eat and sleep. I also have a family member of someone named….Vera. I have plenty of caps to spend for supplies and ammo, if you'll let me."

The intercom was quiet but the person spoke again.

"Very well….Welcome to Rivet City, please wait while the bridge extends."

A powerful crank screeched and began moving the bridge over to where I was standing. When it was connected I walked for the other side. Greeting me were two security guards. The one who I presumed was the leader stopped me.

"Hold it right there. State your business here in Rivet City."

"I just-" my vision sudden went blurry and I felt myself hit the floor.

"Hey, are you okay?! You, go to Doctor Preston! Tell him I'm bringing someone to him, hurry!"

That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

000

**Rivet City-Two Days Later**

Slowly opening my eyes, my vision focused on a metal ceiling. Dizziness clouded my vision for a mere moment before I sat up. I winced at the pain shooting through my side but it was nicely wrapped with white linen bandages.

"Finally awake are we?" someone's voice asked, startling me. He chuckled lightly. "You're okay. I'm Doc Preston and you are one lucky lady."

"Where am I?" I asked, leaning my legs over the side of the cot.

"You're in my clinic in Rivet City. I'm surprised you're not dead with the injuries you suffered while in my care. You had four bullet wounds, two being severe, and a deep laceration on your side. You had minor radiation poisoning and you coded twice due to blood loss. Everyone here thought you were as good as dead when Harkness brought you here."

"Harkness? Who's that? I need to thank him. Did he save me from the super mutants? How long have I been asleep?"

"Super mutants? Well, no wonder you received that many injuries. Now I know it's definitely a miracle that you survived. You've been out for two days now. Harkness is our head of security; he said you collapsed on the bridge once you arrived. How do you feel?" he asked while marking something down on a clipboard.

"Two days?! Oh great….Oh um… I'm a little dizzy but other than that just a little sore."

"Good, you just need about another days rest and you should be fine, but don't overdo it. The deep laceration on your side is still healing. You do too much and it will open up again."

"That's….not really what I wanted to hear." I sighed in defeat, my gaze facing the floor.

Doc Preston looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"You see, I came here looking for someone named Vera. Her nephew, Brian, is in need of a place to stay. He's all alone now."

"Oh, Vera Weatherly. She owns the hotel here in Rivet City. I could show you the way but take it slow."

"Thanks. Any meds I need to be taking?"

"Well, you're the first to ask me that. Take one of these mentats a day before you go to bed until your laceration is closed. Come to me in the morning so I can re-wrap your bandages. Other than that, just some well needed rest."

"Great, thanks Doc."

"Oh and by the way, your vault suit was trashed so I had Bannon set you up with this Roving Trader outfit. It's a little dirty but it will hold out better than what you were wearing."

"Where's the Weatherly Hotel?"

"Go out this door, go straight down the hall and take a left. That's the Weatherly Hotel."

"Thanks again Doc."

I left the clinic and went straight down the hall until I found the hotel. Upon entering a Mr. Handy robot greeted me.

"Greetings madam, how may I serve you?"

"Um….is Vera here?"

"Certainly. I will retrieve her."

The robot went into the back room and I immediately sat down on the nearest couch.

_Two days?! I can't believe I was out for two days! What if that scavenger ran into trouble with more raiders? What if Brian's hurt or worse!?_

"Well, praise the lord. You're up and about! How are you?" a woman asked. She was dressed in a blue, pre-war dress and her blonde hair was up in a fancy fashion.

"Are you Vera?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed I am. Welcome to the Weatherly Hotel, I'm the owner of this little piece of home. What can I do for you?"

"I'm here about Brian, your nephew. He just lost his father and needs a place to stay."

"Oh the poor dear! O-of course! Bring him here and I'll make sure he's comfortable."

"That's good to hear. I'll bring him in a few days once I'm rested up, doctor's orders."

"Would you like a room? I'll let your first night here be free due to your circumstance but if you want to stay longer, it's 150 caps."

"That's not too bad. I'll pay you tomorrow when I get ready to head out. If you don't mind, could you tell me where to get some supplies?"

"Sure. As soon as you leave here, take a left and go all the way to the end of the hall and through that door is the marketplace. You'll find everything you need there. For food you can go to Gary's Galley, he is one of the _best_ chefs around but if you don't want anything fancy you can always eat here. A Quick Fix will handle all your medical needs such as stimpaks, mentants, radaway and others. Potomic Attire handles in clothes and armor while Flak and Shrapnel's handles in weapons, if you're into that thing."

"Wow, um, thanks for the information."

"Of course, anything for you, for what you're doing for Brian. You have my thanks."

I thanked Vera for the information and went for my room. I opened the door and dropped my bag onto the floor, plopped onto my bed and fell asleep.

000

The next morning, I went to the market and stocked up on supplies and ammo. I went to Gary's for a bite to eat and take out for Brian. I even had my hunting rifle repaired for a butt load of caps. It was expensive, but it would be worth it when I killed the super mutants. Money was nothing compared to the life of a helpless child.

000

**Scavenger's Shack**

"Terra!" Brian yelled as he ran into me with a tight hug.

"I'm back."

"Where were you?! I was so scared that you were dead!"

"I'm sorry I worried you but I made it to Rivet City. Unfortunately, I was badly injured and I was unconscious for two days."

"Did you find my cousin Vera?" he asked.

I kneeled down next to him and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I sure did. She said she'll take you in."

"I wish….there was something I could give you for all you've done. I hate to ask you for anything more but, could you take me to Rivet City?"

"Of course I will, I have to back anyway to get directions to GNR."

"Okay, let's go! I want to meet my cousin Vera!" he yelled excitedly.

I shook Rae's hand.

"Thank you for watching him. I'm glad I didn't have to kill you."

Rae laughed. "You're very welcome, he was no trouble. And I'm glad you didn't come to kill me."

Brian and I waved goodbye, then headed back for Rivet City.

We made it to the Weatherly Hotel and Vera looked at Brian. She made her way to us and kneeled down in front of him.

"Hello Brian. I'm your cousin Vera…..I'm so sorry about you father."

"Thanks…..your house is nice."

"Well thank you, I'll show you to your bed."

Brian was a bit reluctant in leaving my side. "Can I come with you? Please?"

"I'm sorry, Brian. This world we live in is too dangerous for a child. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Well then….can you come visit us? I'll miss you."

I tossed his hair about and laughed. "Of course! Anytime I'm in the area, I'll stop by."

Brian grew silent….his head lowered facing the floor.

"Brian?" I asked.

Little drops of water hit the metal floor and Vera let out a shocked gasp.

"Brian, what's wrong?"

"I….." his voice choked up from the tears. "Thank you…"

I pulled Brian into a tight hug and for the first time in six days…..he cried.

(AWWWWWWWWW! I must say I have really outdone myself! I love writing things that involve kids. Personally though, I like more happy stories. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it. Next chapter: Galaxy News Radio! Look forward to it!)


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